If you’ve ever made homemade apple cider, or hot wassail, you know it’s worth it just for how amazing it makes your house smell! That sweet apple cinnamon smell is enough to make anyones mouth water.

I’ve made slow cooker apple cider before, but this time I wanted to make it into Caramel Apple Cider. Have you ever had Starbuck’s Caramel Apple Cider? It’s amazing, and that’s what inspired this recipe. A warm, sweet, caramel-y cider drink topped with fresh whipped cream and drizzled with caramel sauce. This recipe is spot-on and couldn’t be easier to make from home!

Wash apples and orange. Chop apples into quarters (you can leave the stems/seeds etc.) Add them to the slow cooker along with the whole orange.

Add water, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, clove and allspice. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for for 3-4 hours. (If you notice the orange spit open at any point during cooking, remove it from the pot so it doesn't make the cider bitter. This has never happened to me, but it can happen.)

One hour before the mixture is done cooking, mash the apples with a potato masher. Replace lid and continue cooking 1 more hour.

Use a fine mesh strainer to strain the contents into a large heat-proof pitcher.

Stir in brown sugar and caramel sauce and stir to dissolve. Serve warm with fresh whipped cream and caramel sauce drizzled on top.

I’m originally from the Midwest, but I moved to Greece this summer. Not only have I been missing the fall colors, but I’ve been missing a lot of the traditional fall sweets! Not that the Greek sweets aren’t bad (can’t beat freshly made baklava!), but there’s something about apple desserts in October and November that just remind me of home. So today I made your cider recipe as well as a pan of fresh caramel apple crisp. Your cider was the perfect companion and totally hit the spot! I’m looking forward to enjoying throughout the rest of the weekend! Thanks for a taste from home during a heavy day in Europe.

This is funny. I just read you’re presently living in St Louis. That’s where I lived for ten glorious years before temporarily relocating to Layton. I was then demanded in TN so I returned to Ladue, sold my house and everything else and I’ve been here, in limbo, for a very long time. It’s sad.